Electrolytic cell.



H. C. JENKINS.

ELECTROLYTIC CELL.

APPLICATION FIILED NOV. 22. l9l6.

Patented Dec. 18, 1917.

HENRY CHARLES JENKINS, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

ELECTROLYTIC cELL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 18, 1917.

Application filed November 22, 1916. Serial No. 132,847.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY CHARL S J EN- .KINs, a subject of the King of England, re-

siding at 817 Salisbury House, London Wall, London, England, engineer, (whose post-oflice address is 817 Salisbury House, London Wall, London, England,) have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Electrolytic Cells, of which the following is a specification.

This invention which relates to the electrolysis of liquids in cells of the bell type such as described in the specification of Patent No. 1,150,370 of 17th August, 1915, granted to me, refers to an improved form of construction and an improved mode of operating such cells.

The object of the present invention is to provide a cell of the indicated type which is particularly adapted for the electrolysis of nitrates, and from which practically pure nitric acid will be produced at the electrode within the bell, the caustic alkali and the nitrites produced at the other electrode being drawn off and separated outside the cell.

According to this invention each of the bells in the cell is heated by a separate steam heating pipe or an electro-radiator located 'outside the bells, and the electrode therein is so made as to almost fill the interior of the bell thereby considerably reducing the working spaces of the electrolyte.

In the accompanying drawings, which are furnished in illustration of my invention,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of an electrolytic cell heated by steam pipes arranged adjacent to each bell; and

Fig. 2 is a transverse section of part of same.

In these drawings A are the electrodes within thebells, B, C are steam heating pipes, D the electrodes in the lower part of .the cell, E the base of the cell, F pipes for conveying steam to make up loss of heat by conductivity when required, as in my Patent 1150370, G is the overflow pipe, and H and.

H are bus-bars.

In carr m m invention into effect I make-the electrodes A of such size as almost completely to fill the interiors of the bells B, and adjacent to each bell I arrange a heating pipe C, which, in the example shown, is a steam pipe having an upper flow and a lower return pipe and connected in series with a similar steam pipe adjacent to the next bell or between the next pair of bells.

In practice I find that a battery of such steam plpes, connected together in series one between each pair of bells and one at each end, to be effective for my purpose when supplled with superheated steam. But, as previously stated, the heating means may be electro-radiators or other suitable means for externally heating all the bells in the cell. The heating means should be so controlled as to bring the bathto a temperature of approximately 100 centigrade. The heating means are not immersed in the electrolyte, and heat the walls of the bells by radiation.

In operatlon the pressure on the liquid wlthin the bell is maintained less than that outside and a heavy density of current, say for example one ampere per square inch, is used, so as to produce high activity per unit volume of the electrolyte in contact with the electrode. This current density in conjunc tion with the reduced pressure within the heated bell, and the reduced working space of the electrolyte together with the exposure of the Wall of the bell to heat results in the separation, by substantially a distillation. process within the bell, of a large proportion of relatively pure nitric acid constituents'. These constituents are passed through a condensing coil in the ordinary way and collected outside the cell. The caustic alkali and the nitrites produced at the other electrodesare also drawn ofl in the ordinary way and separated outside the cell.

I am aware that it has already been proi posed to restrain a gaseous anode product from dissolving by submitting to suction an isolated body of electrolyte around the anode and by heating said body of electrolyte by steam coils or electric resistances around the anode. To make up for loss of heat by conduction the cells described in my Patent No. 1,150,370 are provided with a non-conducting coating, or a small current of steam is passed through pipes in the base of the cell. My present invention differs therefrom in providing heat in the region of the upper part of the cell where the bell is located and in regulating this heat so as to raise the temperature of the bath approximately to the boiling point of water, so as substantially to efl'ect a distillation process within the bell.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The process herein descrlbed for electrolyzing liquids in electrolytic cells of the bell type which consists in maintaining the liquid at a reduced pressure within the bells, reducing the working space of the electrolyte Within the bells, employing a high density of current in the cells, and externally heating said bells.

2. An electrolytic cell comprising an outer chamber or cell for containing the electrolyte, an electrode within said chamber, a bell partially immersed in the electrolyte, an electrode Within said bell which almost completely fills it, and means external to the bell for heating the wall of the said bell.

3. An electrolytic cell comprising an outer chamber or cell for containing the electrolyte, an electrode Within said chamber, a bell supported in the said chamber, an electrode within said bell which almost completely fills it, and means external to the bell for heating the Wall of the said bell.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this (il'h'day of November, 1916.

HENRY CHARLES JENKINS. 

